Summer 2010 Newsletter

What's in a Theme?

In addition to being known for diversity, UAB is also known for its interdisciplinary cooperation among programs and centers across campus. This year that kind of cooperative approach to research and education at UAB is further enhanced by the establishment within the Graduate Biomedical Sciences (GBS) of the following interdisciplinary “themes” for educating bioscience predoctoral trainees.

Biochemistry & Structural Biology

Cancer Biology

Cell, Molecular, &Developmental Biology

Genetics & Genomic Sciences

Immunology

Microbiology

Neuroscience

Pathobiology & Molecular Medicine

These themes offer students and faculty curriculum and research opportunities that extend beyond classical program and departmental boundaries. Beginning with the fall 2010 semester, entering GBS students will begin their graduate studies with an initial theme affiliation. This provides them with access to approximately 320 experienced faculty within 25 departments and 7 schools. It also provides them with a new and advanced level of student peers and personal ongoing advisory consultation regarding courses and rotations. By the end of the first year, each student will select his/her final theme affiliation and from then on the curriculum can be tailored individually.

“Pulling this together took several years of planning and a lot of hard work by many individuals,” says Dean Bryan Noe. “The initial impetus for all of the planning that went into this transformation of the bioscience PhD training programs at UAB came from the Strategic Plan of the School of Medicine that was drafted in late 2005. Since that time, a very large number of faculty have been involved in working out the details so that this could become a reality. Bioscientists have for years used interdisciplinary approaches in their research. It just makes sense for predoctoral trainees to be exposed to this way of working from the very beginning of their research careers.”

Dr. Susan Rich, Senior Associate Dean in the Graduate School and Director of the GBS outlines the advantages of these new themes to both students and faculty as follows:

Interdisciplinarity

Each theme involves faculty from multiple departments, schools, and centers

Opportunities for competitive research recognition – sponsored by Graduate School, departments and centers, national professional societies

Role of the GBS Office

The GBS Office provides student services and programs, recruitment support, and administrative oversight of entering students; the office shares space with the Medical Scientist Training Program and the Office of Postdoctoral Education. “I am so impressed with the energy and teamwork that our current students and GBS staff have demonstrated in the past several months, to plan for and recruit students for the 2010 entering class. The theme directors and GBS Curriculum and Admissions Committees have been hard at work as well, and all are encouraged by a significant increase in highly qualified applicants,” states Dr. Susan Rich. “We look forward to welcoming these successful applicants into the community of GBS trainees, as well as to better aligning graduate education with the robust interdisciplinary research enterprise here at UAB.”

For more information about the individual GBS Interdisciplinary Themes, visit the Graduate Biomedical Sciences Web site at http://www.uab.edu/gbs/.

Barker Award Recipients Chosen

The Samuel B. Barker Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies, named for UAB’s first graduate dean, Dr. Samuel Booth Barker, is the most prestigious annual award from the Graduate School. Outstanding students are nominated by the graduate faculty in their respective programs and the award recipients are chosen by a committee that the Graduate School Dean convenes. Besides receiving a cash award, the recipients are honored at the Graduate School Awards Luncheon and Honors Convocation, and their names appear on plaques outside the Graduate School offices.

The 2010 Barker Award recipients are Craig Aumack, a doctoral student in Biology, and Bonnie Kathleen “Katie” Culpepper, a master’s student in Biomedical Engineering. Within the letters of nomination, each candidate received high praise, on both an academic and extracurricular level, from their respective advisors and departmental faculty. Among Katie's letters, her nominators noted her impressive work ethic, level of independence, and productivity level in the laboratory. One nominator added, “When encountering a research challenge, she rigorously explores every possible avenue for learning. She reads the literature, consults colleagues, and tries different experimental approaches to address a given hypothesis. Another strength is her capacity to understand complex concepts and to readily appreciate how her work fits into the larger literature.” Katie also places a high value on giving back to the community through mentoring in the “Big Sister” program in Birmingham.

Craig Aumack’s advisor, Dr. Charles Amsler, is equally impressed with his academic and extracurricular endeavors and describes his student as “the real deal.” Other nominators described Craig as “bright, self motivated and hardworking, but he also thinks independently and is very creative.” While Craig has been working on his dissertation, he has also contributed to other unrelated work in the lab which has resulted in being a coauthor on papers in peer reviewed journals. Already viewed as a leader in his field, Craig is very active in the department, has received numerous national level awards, and serves on committees of professional organizations.

The Selection Committee was impressed with both students and believes that the awards are well deserved.

Graduate Student Research Days 2010

This year, 141 students participated in UAB’s 16th annual Graduate Student Research Days on February 24, 25 & 26. Of those students, 38 received awards and were recognized at the Graduate School Awards Luncheon held on Friday, March 5 in the HUC Great Hall.

“While Research Days has historically been a forum for graduate students to present their research among their colleagues, it has also provided an opportunity for faculty and postdoctoral fellows to serve as judges,” says Kellie Carter, the event’s coordinator. “Several judges commented on the depth and breadth of the research being done by students and were quite impressed.”

The Graduate Student Association, which helps sponsor the event, provided timekeepers for the 14 sessions. In all, 58 faculty and postdoctoral fellows volunteered their time and expertise as judges.

Graduate Students in the Spotlight

Two graduate students from UAB's Art History Master’s Program are featured in the March Student Spotlight. Kelley Wockenfuss expects to graduate this August. Her research interests include Contemporary art with an emphasis on animal art. She says the teaching experience she has gained while in the program has been very rewarding.

Jamie Boullt’s research specialty includes Renaissance, Baroque, and 20th-century art, with an emphasis on the Spanish Renaissance. She is writing her thesis on Diego Hurtado de Mendoz, a Spanish art collector. Jamie’s goal is to obtain a Ph.D. and teach at the university level.

The Graduate Student Spotlight features two students from a UAB graduate program each month. For more information about Kelley and Jamie or to access other students who have been in the Spotlight, please visit the Graduate School’s homepage at www.uab.edu/graduate.

Graduation News

The graduates of UAB's Graduate School take part in two ceremonies: The Doctoral Hooding Ceremony and the Commencement are held each May and December. August graduates may attend the December commencement. The Doctoral Hooding Ceremony is the commencement for doctoral candidates receiving PhD, DrPH, and EdD degrees. Both ceremonies will take place on Saturday, May 8. All other doctoral candidates should check with your program or school for graduation ceremony information.

If you are a receiving a PhD, DrPH, or EdD in May 2010, you must fill out the commencement form by April 23 in order to participate in this ceremony. Simply showing up for the ceremony is not an option. The Doctoral Hooding Ceremony will be held in the Alys Stephens Center at 12:00 p.m.

The commencement ceremonies for master's, Ed.S. and undergraduate students will be held in Bartow Arena at 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., according to school.

Completing all paper work and final payments by the posted deadlines will ensure that a candidate is eligible for graduation by the expected date.

Academic and Career Support for Graduate Students: UAB Professional Development Program

Today’s academics, researchers, and scientists face increasing competition not only in their fields of study, but in the areas of professional communication. In a tight market, it is the polished and the well-presented candidate who has an edge.

UAB’s Professional Development Program offers ongoing support for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and visiting scholars who want to gain that edge:

Courses and workshops that train participants to make effective presentations, write productive papers, grants, and dissertations, and prepare for faculty teaching responsibilities.

Those who wish to polish their professional speech can participate in courses and workshops on presentations skills or pronunciation and accent training, while writers can hone their research and publishing skills. Any who plan to seek faculty positions can develop the Teaching Philosophy most academic positions require in GRD 716 Preparing a Teaching Portfolio.

Additional support is available for those who come from other cultures or speak other languages. A series of Oral Communication courses offers speaking, listening, and cross-cultural skills for any who want to sharpen their ability to follow lectures, get ideas across, or just interact on and off campus. The Mission of the Professional Development Program is to provide those skills that transcend disciplinary boundaries. A schedule of summer semester courses is located below.

Professional Development Courses Summer 2010

GRD 712 Research Writing and StyleLocation: TBAOne Section: Wednesdays, 5:30 to 9:40pm 3 credit hours; Contact Jennifer Greer at jlgreer1@uab.edu.Designed for graduate students and professionals whose first language is English, and who are currently working on a writing project (e.g., paper for class, journal article for publication, or dissertation), this course teaches effective strategies for research writers. Students explore scientific thought, structures and style, the creative process, planning and completing a writing project, IMRD organization (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, etc.), submitting to journals and publishing.

GRD 736 Dissertation Strategies One Section: Class meets 6 to 8:00pm on June 2, June 9 and June 16 Location: TBA 1 credit hour; Contact Dr. Susan Olmstead-Wang at olmstes@uab.edu.A series of seminars for graduate students who are preparing to start a dissertation within the next year; seminar topics include creating a dissertation committee, crafting the proposal, outlining the text, and managing the writing and reviewing process. GRD 736 is the pre-requisite for GRD 737 Successful Dissertation Process (offered Spring Semester).

Pronunciation and Accent Improvement

*GRD 714: Individualized Pronunciation InstructionMay 11 to Aug. 6(Prerequisite: GRD 724 or permission of instructor) 3 to 5 credit hours per semester Contact Jonghee Shadix at jshadix@uab.edu. Students in Individualized Instruction have acquired basic speaking skills in group instruction and are now ready for fine-tuning their language abilities with an experienced instructor, who tailors lessons to their particular pronunciation needs. The course includes a thorough diagnostic and goal-setting session, followed by one-to-one instruction in the sounds and rhythms of English, including computer-assisted language mapping and techniques used by professional actors.

GRD 724: Pronunciation/Accent Workshop Class meets May 12 to Aug. 4 Location: TBAOne Section: VT—Wednesdays, 5:30 to 8:30pm(Permission of instructor required) 3 to 5 credit hours per semester (maximum 4 semesters)Contact Jonghee Shadix at jshadix@uab.edu. Conversation groups in which second language students practice conversation skills with peers and with native English speakers. Students also attend lectures given by invited speakers and participate in a variety of cultural events.

This course is designed to develop professional communication skills through individual presentations and group evaluations. Topics include the basics of oral presentation, content, organization, and delivery of formal presentations; use of voice and nonverbal communication; and speaking to different audiences. Students’ presentations are videotaped and critiqued by their classmates and the instructor.

This workshop provides an introduction to writing grant proposals and fellowship applications. Topics include funding sources, electronic databases, organization and format of proposals and applications, submission and review processes, use of secondary sources, and guidelines for effective proposal writing.

This course surveys ethical issues and principles in the practice of science. Among the topics discussed are the nature, extent, and causes of fraud in the sciences; UAB policies on fraud; ideals of good science; the responsibilities of authorship and peer review; potential problems raised by the commercialization of research; scientists as public policy advisors; and ethical issues involved in animal experimentation and in clinical trials.

GRD 727 Writing & Reviewing Research

Sept. 13 to Nov. 17 Location: TBA

Three Sections: VTA—M/W 4 to 5:30pm, VTB—Mondays 5:30-8:30pm, and QL—Online

Designed for individuals constructing research projects, preparing literature reviews, writing summaries and critiques, GRD 727 offers essential strategies and techniques for working more effectively, ethically, and efficiently; assignments include practice, feedback, peer review, and self-editing. Special emphasis is placed on analysis of research texts, outlining, drafting, and citing for more productive and independent writing. Note: Self motivated? Working from home? Take GRD 727 online.

Created for students who seek to publish professionally, GRD 728 reviews academic writing genres, standards, and conventions. Fast-paced with text analysis and guided practice, this course covers the writing of biographic statements, conference abstracts & posters, review articles, critiques, and empirical research articles. Special emphasis is placed on peer review, self-editing, and authorship issues for successful negotiation of the publishing process.

GRD 736 Dissertation Strategies

One Section: Class meets 6 to 8:00pm on 3 Wednesdays (dates to be determined) Location: TBA

A series of seminars for graduate students who are preparing to start a dissertation within the next year; seminar topics include creating a dissertation committee, crafting the proposal, outlining the text, and managing the writing and reviewing process. GRD 736 is the pre-requisite for GRD 737 Successful Dissertation Process (offered Spring Semester).

Learn strategies for clearly and accurately expressing your ideas while building your confidence. On-line lectures allow students to practice listening to presentations and interviews on current topics. In-class discussions build fluency, grammar, and pronunciation. This interactive speaking and listening course prepares students to participate actively in discussions with Americans in both academic and social settings.

Build academic vocabulary and knowledge of American culture. Improve listening and speaking accuracy, and practice effective language learning strategies. Students in this dynamic, web-enhanced course discuss ethical and global issues while learning to speak and listen effectively in small groups. Class size is limited to ensure maximum participation.

Build communication skills and learning strategies while exploring cultural values. Through small-group interaction, students learn to effectively discuss their opinions, organize effective talks, and analyze complex problems. This Level 3 course prepares students for the kinds of communication expected in graduate school —participating in academic discussions; debating scholarly projects with colleagues; and delivering formal talks at professional meetings.

Students in Individualized Instruction have acquired basic speaking skills in group instruction and are now ready for fine-tuning their language abilities with an experienced instructor, who tailors lessons to their particular pronunciation needs. The course includes a thorough diagnostic and goal-setting session, followed by one-to-one instruction in the sounds and rhythms of English, including computer-assisted language mapping and techniques used by professional actors.

Conversation groups in which second language students practice conversation skills with peers and with native English speakers. Students also attend lectures given by invited speakers and participate in a variety of cultural events.

This hands-on course introduces international students to research writing standards and processes, familiar text structures, strategies for second language writers, peer review, and revision. Based on guided activities, practice, and small-group work, it is the first of two courses on writing research papers. Special emphasis is placed on ethical paraphrase, citation, and scholarly integrity, which are essential skills for completion of graduate course work, writing up, and publishing research.

GRD 727 Writing & Reviewing Research

Sept. 13 to Nov. 17 Location: TBA

Three Sections: VTA—M/W 4 to 5:30pm, VTB—Mondays 5:30-8:30pm, and QL—Online

Designed for individuals constructing research projects, preparing literature reviews, writing summaries and critiques, GRD 727 offers essential strategies and techniques for working more effectively, ethically, and efficiently; assignments include practice, feedback, peer review, and self-editing. Special emphasis is placed on analysis of research texts, outlining, drafting, and citing for more productive and independent writing. Note: Self motivated? Working from home? Take GRD 727 online this summer.

Created for students who seek to publish professionally, GRD 728 reviews academic writing genres, standards, and conventions. Fast-paced with text analysis and guided practice, this course covers the writing of biographic statements, conference abstracts & posters, review articles, critiques, and empirical research articles. Special emphasis is placed on peer review, self-editing, and authorship issues for successful negotiation of the publishing process.

Preparing Tomorrow’s Professionals

Ethics for Authors

The UAB Ethics for Authors website explores ethical issues for students, researchers and faculty writing for publication. The site includes FAQs on citing and writing for research, e-tools and activities, and several handouts.